Questions

[BattleVonWar]

Hey guys, have not been playing awhile. So I need some brushing up if you would please give me a moment.

1. When a river movement is blocked by enemy elements just 1 friendly element is all that is needed to lift that, no matter what that friendly element is set to. IS that true still?

2. Does Loyalty and development along with NM really increase income? How do VPs matter in this equation ...


3. Supply down Rivers.. I have heard that owning guns pointing at the river can interdict supply. Also from my understanding you require I believe it is 25% MC to get supply through a region. How do Ships or MC% or ownership of structures interdict supply or do they any? Also does more control mean more supply basically?

4. Redoubts, how much do they impact a combat in a province they're located in? I heard if 1 element is inside of the fortress and the rest of the Army is outside of it, there is a % increase to combat strength for the entire stack. Is this also true to some degree of towns, forts, settlements?

5. Training Officer, HQ and Doctor. I have heard that a Doctor and an HQ both do the same thing as for cohesion recovery(is that also true of cohesion recovery for sickness? forgoing the need for both elements in 1 stack?) Also I have noted that training officer Generals don't seem to speed things up much or am I just not giving them enough time?

[Teatime]

I can provide some insight into Q2 and Q5

Q2
- Loyalty and Development impact supply generated by a region.
- In the limited testing and tracking I have done I have not seen income increased.
- Not sure if NM impacts as i have not tracked that

Q5 -
- HQ's act as Training Officers, Doctors and Signals Companies. So Training Officer + Medical + Signal = a HQ. The effects do not stack so no point having both in a stack.
- Training officers (as do HQ's) give 1 guaranteed point of experience per turn. So give them time, they are invaluable. The first experience Star will typically take 10 experience points (less for conscripts (5) and more for volunteers (15)) to get at which time the element will get some stat boosts and get further boosts for each star thereafter and may also get upgraded after getting a couple of stars.

[Captain_Orso]

Hey guys, have not been playing awhile. So I need some brushing up if you would please give me a moment.

1. When a river movement is blocked by enemy elements just 1 friendly element is all that is needed to lift that, no matter what that friendly element is set to. IS that true still?

A naval combat element blocks a land stack using Riverine Transportation from moving through a water region. There is a possibility of of combat occurring in such a water region, but it does not necessarily occur. Once the encounter occurs, the land stack will drop to the shore in PP (Passive Posture), where it remains for the rest of the turn as a normal land stack, subject to all other rules pertaining to land stacks. I do not know how it is determined to which side of the water region the land stack is dropped.

2. Does Loyalty and development along with NM really increase income? How do VPs matter in this equation ...

Yes; according to the AACWWiki: Loyalty page, the production modifier is (50 + loyalty in percentage / 100). So at 50% loyalty (50 + 50 / 100) = 1.0 modifier to production.

3. Supply down Rivers.. I have heard that owning guns pointing at the river can interdict supply.

Artillery which can bombard into a water region blocks supplies from passing through that water region.

Also from my understanding you require I believe it is 25% MC to get supply through a region. How do Ships or MC% or ownership of structures interdict supply or do they any? Also does more control mean more supply basically?

Yes, you are required to have >=25%MC in a region to have supply pass through it.

A single unopposed enemy unit will block friendly supply from passing through a region regardless of MC.

4. Redoubts, how much do they impact a combat in a province they're located in? I heard if 1 element is inside of the fortress and the rest of the Army is outside of it, there is a % increase to combat strength for the entire stack. Is this also true to some degree of towns, forts, settlements?

Forts, Redoubts, and Entrenchment (all types of fortifications) increase the protection value of elements inside those fortifications, and slightly increase artillery in gaining hits.

There is no connection between stacks inside and outside fortifications, nor inside and outside a regions 'inside location'.

Inside locations: if a region contains a city, fort, depot, or stockade (etc), it defines that the region contains an 'inside location'. A stack my be either inside the regions 'inside location', or outside of it, which defines that stack as being in the field.

5. Training Officer, HQ and Doctor. I have heard that a Doctor and an HQ both do the same thing as for cohesion recovery(is that also true of cohesion recovery for sickness? forgoing the need for both elements in 1 stack?) Also I have noted that training officer Generals don't seem to speed things up much or am I just not giving them enough time?

There are no Doctors, only elements with the 'Medical Service' ability, usually called Hospital elements. There are Hospital Units with a single element with the Medical Service ability, and there are HQ Support Units, which contain a Hospital element.

The Medical Service ability increases cohesion recovery for all elements in the stack which contains it.

The Training Officer ability increases the XP (eXperience Points) of all elements in the stack containing an element with the Training Officer ability at a rate of 2 XP per turn in which the stack has not been given movement orders.

XP of an element cannot be increase through training beyond 2 EL (Experience Level). Each element has a 'ProgRate' (Progression Rate) defined. This defines the XP level at which an element gains 1 EL, at which time it will gain a Star on it's element detail display.

ProgRate for various elements is generally:
Infantry: 10
Cavalry: 5
Artillery: 20

IIRC each 'odd' EL gained increases defensive characteristics, while each 'even' EL gained increases offensive characteristics of an element.

[BattleVonWar]

Thank you both for answers, very helpful and could you add a little more in. I noticed that land movement will be blocked through an unblocked river zone despite contesting it(despite what the rules say or don't say) I don't know what amount of control points are necessary but it seems that any sort of enemy naval presence(up to a certain amount of elements as I recall I think it was 4) prevents land units from crossing. It appears all enemy naval elements in certain cases have to be beaten back to clear movement completely...

I didn't know loyalty effected things so adversely. It gives you intel on Units, where they're going, what's in them. It's really pretty nifty and an income boost.


I was told previously to not batch HQs and Doctors... seems the Doctors are cheaper though and in certain cases necessary during harsh weather seasons if you cannot afford the HQ.


CW2 is particularly difficult on combat numbers... so every bit counts!

Thanks again and glad to see the community is well

[Cardinal Ape]

Its a 23% chance per element, up to a max of 90%. The ships can't be in passive posture or have evade special orders. I suppose that it may be possible for both factions to block each others river crossings without fighting.

I haven't had much success when trying to interdict mid turn, it seems that if the ships aren't in position before the enemy begins to march across then they will make it across.

[BattleVonWar]

Interesting! I noticed in 1 situation(betatested it a few times) 4 elements getting there first blocked all river crossing.(the units attempting move had no option to even) Placing in friendly elements no matter their combat settings~equal or greater than, did nothing until they pushed the 4 elements out in combat, to free up movement once more. I thought this was peculiar as I had read there was a % chance to have movement regardless

Its a 23% chance per element, up to a max of 90%. The ships can't be in passive posture or have evade special orders. I suppose that it may be possible for both factions to block each others river crossings without fighting.

I haven't had much success when trying to interdict mid turn, it seems that if the ships aren't in position before the enemy begins to march across then they will make it across.

[ArmChairGeneral]

Hospital units ("doctors") are cheaper but only do one thing. HQs give an extra CP, speed cohesion recovery AND give extra XP per turn; it is like a combination of a Signal Corps and a Hospital, for the same price, that also acts as a Training Master. They cost the exact same as a Signal Corps and a Hospital, but do more so are more efficient despite their high initial price tag.

HQs are great for use in large frontline stacks that will see a lot of fighting: the CPs are necessary for jamming that fifth or sixth division into a Corps or Army stack, and those stacks tend to see a lot of fighting so the Hospital actually gets used (a Hospital in a stack that does not actually fight a lot is wasted money). Most importantly the TM ability gives juicy juicy XP to every element in the stack, so the larger the stack the more bang-for-your-buck. The XP growth takes time to affect outcomes, but really helps, especially for the CSA who needs to maintain their quality edge for as long as possible. The sooner they are up and running and put into large stacks, the more effective they are, since the elements will accumulate that much more XP the longer they are present.

As the CSA I try to get my initial HQ going as soon as I can afford it (summer 61) and get at least one more up as soon as the new ones get added to the pool, and I tend to use them in the East. In the West you have Hardee and Bragg with Training Master ability, so HQs are less necessary. HQs are not as impactful for the Union, since you can rely on quantity rather than quality and you have plenty of Training Officers available to improve your forces.

On a related note, Cavalry upgrade from conscripts quickly and gain stars quickly. Gaining stars gives buffs to a lot of stats other than just Firepower which are not normally useful for Infantry. Cav (especially in their scouting role) on the other hand benefit greatly from the boosts to their Evasion and Patrol that come with even just one star. It is worth microing Cav, particularly conscripts, in and out of HQ/ Training Master stacks to rapidly increase their scouting effectiveness.

[Captain_Orso]

*doh* So you were asking about blocking a river crossing, and not blocking a stack using Riverine Transport. Cardinal Ape has covered that.

[BattleVonWar]

ArmChairGeneral, Interesting.. Never saw it that way(getting 3 for 1) but I was told by one of my initial opponents that the HQ is as effective as a Medical Unit.


Capt. Orso,

No two separate actions. Marching across a river and River Transport via your Strategic Options, i.e. Rail and Riverine Transport. I found that both are quite unique.

1. I ran 4 tests... with the enemy Gunboats arriving first, 4 elements blocked marching and transport options altogether. When I added 1 of my own(Wiki CW1 said this would work) same deal. When I added 4 of my own, same deal. When I added 6 elements, same deal. When I finally defeated the existing 4 elements and pushed them out by combat a march then could be performed and or rail..which I think would apply for Riverine Transport as well... Not that you would want to attempt to do that against potential enemy guns. So no I had to answer this myself but of course I have had instances in other games where I get the message failed to march across river due to enemy ships(something like that with a % chance). Just never completely blocked and no option to attempt it at all.

[rouge1701]

I have a question about supply on rivers. Does supply only move along rivers you can float ships on? Or will any river carry supplies? For example, the Santee River up to Columbia can support ships. The Saluda and Enoree up to Greenville can't support ships. Do I have to repair the rail lines to Greenville to keep it supplied?

[Captain_Orso]

Supply move from region to region. Rivers not consisting of regions only slow supply slightly while moving across such rivers, the same as it slows normal stacks moving across such rivers.

Supply moves exactly the same way a supply train unit would move.
Supply is moved in 3 phases at the start of each turn, before any orders are executed.
Each phase is as if a supply train unit is moved from each supply source to a supply destination as if it were making a normal turn execution; this happens 3 times (three phases) per turn.
Each full 3rd of the RailTP (Rail Transport Pool) and the RivTP (Riverine Transport Pool) available allows using the RivTP and RailTP during those respective supply phases; eg if only one >=3rd, <two 3rds of the RivTP is available, the RivTP may only be used in the first, and only the first, supply phase.
Supply picks the shortest route (in days of movment) from source to target using all TP's available in that phase.

Now, you tell me, if you should repair the rail line

[Rod Smart]

HQs are not as impactful for the Union, since you can rely on quantity rather than quality and you have plenty of Training Officers available to improve your forces.

Nonsense! Headquarters are absolutely mandatory, and you should build all of them as soon as you can.
I would argue that they may be more impactful for the union: More conscript brigades=more important to get experience; ability to produce more units=more divisions in big stacks; only replacing half as many lost casualties per turn as the south=more important to heal damaged elements. Even if I'm wrong, those as still really really important attributes to have.


As to the original question, put the headquarters where it will do the most good, in the big stacks. Put the medical units in smaller stacks that will see fighting, like the individual divisions you'll have in West Texas or West Virginia.
You're not giving them enough time to train. If you leave them alone for a year or three (like I do in New Orleans with Bragg, or DC with the fixed units), the difference in XPs is huge, and easily noticeable.

[DrPostman]

Wow! I can't see going a whole 3 years letting troops sit in one place, even for
the Union. A year for a few, perhaps.

[rouge1701]

Now, you tell me, if you should repair the rail line

If I intended to keep the area, I would. But it seems my pressure on Richmond has paid off and a good chunk of the rebel army has arrived to defend it. Hopefully I can move the army north quickly enough to encircle them.

[Captain_Orso]

Don't forget to keep you lines of communication open south of Richmond

[rouge1701]

I own the rail line from Norfolk to Burkeville, with a rump division in every region along the way. And those rail lines I made sure to repair. The Army of the Potomac and the Army of the West have a mighty appetite between them.

[Captain_Orso]

Hmmmmm you shouldn't spread your power out so thinly. It makes a long line of vulnerable regions. It is better to pull them together into a mobile force with enough power to hit a force trying to get onto your rail line. Be sure to scout to the south and west for any gathering forces and simply garrison along the rail line lightly so that small cavalry cannot simply drop in unopposed.

[BattleVonWar]

Captain Orso, is very right about keeping your eyes open and RAIL lines open. I had a game with an Army consisting of 5 or so Corp. 2 Corp was in Memphis and about 3 Corp in Nashville. The Union come down the center Henry-Donelson. He was stuck there for a very long time, like nearly a year. Until my lines were slashed in the middle where you have only 1 line going into Central Tennessee. If I could have successfully brought all 5 Corp against his I would have superior Force...

Also Scouting is about the most biggest difference between a New Player and a Veteran. I have lost 100,000 men and the South cannot afford to do that. Also I have seen a situation where the North gave up it's Capitol due to a lack of the same in '63 PBEM not early...(YOU always want more ways than one to get to the enemy and the North has extra rail but the South has few lines)

Hmmmmm you shouldn't spread your power out so thinly. It makes a long line of vulnerable regions. It is better to pull them together into a mobile force with enough power to hit a force trying to get onto your rail line. Be sure to scout to the south and west for any gathering forces and simply garrison along the rail line lightly so that small cavalry cannot simply drop in unopposed.

[rouge1701]

Hmmmmm you shouldn't spread your power out so thinly. It makes a long line of vulnerable regions. It is better to pull them together into a mobile force with enough power to hit a force trying to get onto your rail line. Be sure to scout to the south and west for any gathering forces and simply garrison along the rail line lightly so that small cavalry cannot simply drop in unopposed.

I took your advice not a turn to soon. I organized a new army under Rosecrans (no Corps yet, I'm bringing 2 stars from the west) to sweep and clear central VA. Turns out Johnson was bringing an army north over what was left of the central rail line.

Also Scouting is about the most biggest difference between a New Player and a Veteran. I have lost 100,000 men and the South cannot afford to do that. Also I have seen a situation where the North gave up it's Capitol due to a lack of the same in '63 PBEM not early...(YOU always want more ways than one to get to the enemy and the North has extra rail but the South has few lines)

I have been learning the hard way that scouts are not optional. I had a division mauled in Kansas/Missouri because I fixated on the objective and neglected to scout around. It's worse because I knew Stand Watie was in the area, I just forgot about him. I also lost a siege division at Island No. 10, when the rest of the army moved east to Nashville, and I neglected to check that the western side of the Mississippi was clear. That one also nearly cost me Cairo, militia were arriving the day before the battle. Knocked my entire western timetable into a cocked hat.

[BattleVonWar]

rouge, Yes, I didn't scout properly in my first few games either. Last PBEM I played I had a 3 Division force mauled invading St. Louis (my scouts had picked up a situation where I have 5 to 1 force ratio but the enemy bolstered the force and I faced a slaughter.. which is what it is basically needed for an ampib. assault 5 to 1 if you're assaulting at least) I might get more extreme than that with the later entrenchments. Cairo should never fall and must be Pop Riveted Down before you ever leave to venture in Tennessee and Kentucky.

The Union can afford the mistakes you're mentioning. She has men to spare. So don't give up... Also nothing wrong with giving real estate to save lives, I keep forgetting that. What's worth more Cairo or 2 or 3 Divisions? IN 3 or 4 Turns you can come back for it..even 5-10 turns and eventually as the Union you will always take it if your opponent doesn't surrender first.